Online and Blended Learning Policy

Policy

Governance

The University of Dubai (UD) is committed to fostering excellence in its online and blended programs through a collaborative approach, wherein responsibilities for oversight, development, evaluation, and support are shared among stakeholders.
Academic units maintain primary roles and responsibilities for the online or blended curriculum, including academic quality assurance, planning, assessment, and delivery of online courses.
Individuals involved in curriculum approval, evaluation of faculty, and quality assurance of programs understand the best practices, policies, and procedures for e-learning, online learning, and blended learning.
Delivery and management of blended or online programs remain "housed" in academic units (i.e., within Academic Colleges and Departments).
Teaching Assistants (TAs), Instructors, or adjuncts involved in delivering a course or supporting course delivery report to the program coordinator/department head and are based in the academic college/school/department delivering the program.
Evaluation and Enhancement Plans: The University of Dubai (UD) demonstrates both short- and long-range plans for the evaluation of performance, upgrading, and enhancement of online or blended programs and support units included in their strategic planning cycles. This ensures that:
The IT plan for the institution includes short- and long-term goals for e-learning, including staffing, software, simulation labs, etc.
IT plans demonstrate foresight with evidence-based prediction of future technological and pedagogical systems.
IT and other support units regularly conduct surveys of the end users of the support systems, namely faculty and students.
Online learning plans are done in consultation with all stakeholders at all stages.
QAIE department reviews 'closing the loop' on evaluation of the online or blended learning systems, resources, and delivery are based on an online and blended learning plan. The plan is reviewed annually by program leadership and is informed by direct and indirect measures of performance that result in a process of continuous improvement.
The institution provides equipment and software replacement and upgrading plans and associated budgets for the online and blended learning environments.
Feasibility studies are undertaken for all new online and blended learning programs.
UD’s budget clearly specifies the financial arrangements related to online and blended learning programs and courses, including the allocation of anticipated revenues and expenditures attributable to its online or blended learning operations.
Budgeting is robust and anticipates unexpected changes and disruptions.
Project-based budget planning is linked to the requirements of continuous online and blended learning program/course development, staffing, and facilities upgrades in support units as well as academic units.

2. Online and Blended Program and Course Delivery

2.1 Program Development

2.1.1 Needs Assessment
Identify the need for an online or blended program, considering factors such as student demand, market trends, and resource availability.

2.1.2 Proposal Submission

Colleges interested in developing a blended program must submit a plan that is discussed and approved at the AAC meeting.
The proposal should include:

Rationale for the blended program
Program goals & learning outcomes
Alignment of program goals with UD Mission and UAE national goals
Curriculum design, including a breakdown of face-to-face and online components
Assessment methods
Technological requirements
Faculty qualifications and support needed
Budgetary considerations

If required, QAIE shall conduct “initial benchmarking” to determine the national institutions that offer the same program, or close.

2.1.3 Proposal Review and Approval Process

The AAC will review the proposal based on academic standards, technological feasibility, and alignment with university goals.
After the approval of the AAC, the final proposal shall be submitted by the QAIE to the President and BOT for approval.
Approval may be granted contingent on addressing identified issues or concerns.

2.1.4 Preparation of the Program Proposal for Initial Accreditation by the CAA

After the approval of the BOT, the Dean, Program Director and QAIE shall work together to prepare the documentation for the Initial Program Accreditation, according to the procedures described in the CAA standards.
When developing the program goals, learning outcomes, and curriculum, the Program Director is requested to include feedback from the CAB and potential employers, and involve the faculty in the development.
The final draft of the program specification document and the curriculum must be reviewed and approved by the College Curriculum Committee.

2.1.5 Submission of the Program Proposal:

Once QAIE receives the approval from the College Curriculum Committee of the IPP they will perform final review and obtain President or VPAA approval to submit to CAA.
After approval, QAIE will submit on the CAA online portal.

2.2 Program Implementation

2.2.1 Course Design and Content Development:

Online and blended learning courses will be designed and developed according to best practices in instructional design, incorporating interactive multimedia, discussion forums, and other engaging activities to facilitate student learning.
Create high-quality learning materials incorporating multimedia elements, interactive activities, and clear learning objectives.

2.2.2 Program Launch: Promote the program effectively, provide training for faculty and instructors, and ensure technical support is available.

2.3 Credit Hour Allocation
Credit hour allocation for online and blended learning courses will be determined based on the amount of time students are expected to spend engaged in course-related activities, including instruction, assignments, and assessments. Credit Hour: The measurement unit which defines the student’s overall effort towards attaining a qualification. One (1) semester credit equals approximately 1 hour of time in class per week over a semester of 15 weeks or longer.

2.4 Flexible Scheduling
Online and blended learning courses may offer flexible scheduling options, allowing students to access course materials and participate in learning activities at times that accommodate their individual schedules. Faculty will provide opportunities for asynchronous participation while also scheduling synchronous sessions as needed.

2.5 Attendance Policy
Attendance requirements for online and blended learning courses will be clearly communicated to students at the beginning of each course. Attendance may be tracked through participation in synchronous sessions, submission of assignments, or engagement in discussion forums, as outlined in the course syllabus.

2.6 Assessment and Evaluation
Assessment methods in online and blended learning courses will be aligned with course objectives and will include a variety of formative and summative assessments to measure student learning effectively. Assessments/assignments in programs that are projects or case studies and presented synchronously in class.

Courses that have a final examination will be conducted in person and held on-campus invigilated by faculty. Refer to UD PPM EP 3.8 Examination Policy for details on the process.

3. Quality Assurance and Continuous Enhancement.

All online and blended learning courses offered by UD will meet the same academic standards as traditional face-to-face courses.
The Online Program Director, Program Directors and Faculty are responsible for ensuring the quality of content, assessments, and interactions in online and blended learning environments.
Online and Blended programs will undergo regular monitoring and evaluation to ensure they meet established learning objectives and standards.
The achievement of learning outcomes in online and blended learning courses will be assessed through a variety of measures, including direct and indirect assessment methods. Faculty will collect and analyze evidence of student learning to inform program improvement efforts and ensure the continuous enhancement of educational quality.
Feedback from students, faculty, and other stakeholders will be collected and considered in the review process.
The review will assess program effectiveness, student performance, and any necessary updates or improvements in accordance with QA 2.1 Quality Assurance and Institutional Effectiveness Policy.Based on the results of program reviews and feedback, necessary enhancements or modifications to the blended programs will be implemented.
The Blended Learning Committee will oversee the implementation of improvements and modifications.

4. Faculty and Staff

4.1 Faculty Qualifications
All full-time and part-time faculty teaching in online and blended programs must meet the qualifications, training, and experience criteria specified in Standard 5 and Stipulation 5 of the 2019 CAA Standards.

4.2 Core Faculty and Support Staff

Programs delivered using online or blended learning methodologies must have core faculty and support staff who are resident full-time employees. These faculty members are responsible for overseeing program quality assurance, handling daily administration, and ensuring academic leadership within their respective departments.

4.3 Faculty Support and Training

UD will provide faculty with training and support in instructional design, technology integration, and online pedagogy to ensure effective delivery of online and blended courses. See the FP 5.5 Faculty Development Policy in the UD PPM for information on training opportunities.
Faculty are encouraged to conduct professional development in online teaching and instructional technology, to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge for effective online course delivery. This includes attending educational forums, educational conferences, training, and courses, both online and in person. Professional training platforms such as Coursera are made available to all faculty and staff.

4.4 Use of Remote Faculty

While resident faculty are preferred for teaching online and blended courses, UD may utilize part-time remote faculty under certain conditions. Requests for the use of remote faculty must be justified and approved by the CAA, ensuring compliance with accreditation standards.

4.5 Faculty Evaluation

Faculty teaching online and blended learning courses will be evaluated using a comprehensive assessment process that includes student evaluations, peer reviews, and self-assessments. Evaluation criteria will align with the FP5.5 Professional Development Policy for Faculty and will consider factors such as course design, instructional effectiveness, student engagement, and learning outcomes achievement in the online and blended learning environment.

4.6 Faculty Workload and Compensation Policy

Faculty workload expectations for online and blended learning courses will account for the time required for out-of-classroom preparation, including course development, interaction with students, and assessment of student work. Faculty compensation will be commensurate with workload expectations and aligned with FP 5.3 Faculty Workload and Compensation Policy.

The faculty workload for teaching an undergraduate course that has an online component will be 3CH, and the maximum enrollment in that class will be 25.
The faculty workload for teaching a graduate course that has an online component will be 4CH, and the maximum enrollment in that class will be 15.
Faculty will dedicate online class time and office hours, as in normal practice, for the interaction with students, and assessment of student work.
The faculty will be rewarded a fixed stipend for the development of an online or blended course. In order to be eligible for payment, the course must have a minimum of 25% online course content including a major redesign and/or restructure of the course to prepare it for online learning. (i.e.not just video recording 30% of the courses, etc.) The amount of the stipend is 10,000 AED and is paid one time upon completing and handling the course. The process will be as follows.
- The faculty completes the development of the online or blended learning course.
- The faculty will submit the course portfolio and signed contract to the program director, who will review it, sign the contract, and approve it.
- The course portfolio will be passed to the online learning director for approval and signing the contract.
- Upon the approval of the director of online learning, the contract is passed to the VPAA for his approval.
- The contract and course portfolio are passed to the QAIE for clearance and approval.
- The contract is passed to finance for payment processing.

4.7 Faculty Intellectual Property Rights

PDI 10.2 UD Copyright and Intellectual Property Policy applies to this section Mutatis Mutandis. Terms and abbreviations used under this section have the same meaning ascribed in PDI 10.2 .
University License: UD is the owner of copyright where the work is created by staff in the course of their employment. UD’s ownership of copyright applies to both academic and professional staff.
UD owns the intellectual property in UD teaching materials. This ensures the University has the unrestricted ability to use UD teaching materials for its teaching, research and training responsibilities.
Non-exclusive license: UD grants to creators a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use UD teaching materials to fulfill their teaching, research and training responsibilities at UD. This license does not include any use for commercial purposes nor does it involve a transfer of ownership of UD intellectual property. In addition, the creators do not have authority to post the teaching material in whatever format to social media and platforms outside the authorized platforms approved by UD for the purposes of engaging with students. In the absence of an obligation of confidentiality or separate legal constraint, UD recognizes that staff may personally use knowledge they have developed in the course of their employment at UD, once that employment ceases. That right does not extend to the reproduction of UD teaching materials.
Attribution: When using faculty-created intellectual property, the university shall give appropriate attribution to the faculty member in accordance with UD Policy PDI 10.2 Copyright and Intellectual Property Policy..
Modification and Adaptation: The university may modify or adapt faculty-created intellectual property for legitimate educational or administrative purposes, specifically within the context of the blended learning programs, while respecting the integrity and original intent of the work. Significant modifications shall be done in consultation with the faculty member who created the IP whenever possible.
Compensation: Faculty members are entitled to fair and equitable compensation for the commercial use of their intellectual property by the university, particularly if such usage extends beyond the blended learning programs and involves revenue generation in accordance with UD Policy PDI 10.2 Copyright and Intellectual Property Policy.

5. Infrastructure and Digital Resources

UD will assess and enhance digital learning readiness by providing necessary technological resources, infrastructure, and support services.
Equitable access to ICT services will be ensured in accordance with the PTR 7.7 Equitable Access to ICT Services Policy.
Additionally, faculty, staff, and students must adhere to the appropriate use of technology resources as outlined in PTR 7.4 Appropriate Use of Technology Resources Policy.
UD will adhere to all relevant data privacy and security regulations to protect the confidentiality of student information in online and blended learning environments. This includes compliance with the PTR 7.3 UD Data Security Policy and adherence to LMS security and usage guidelines outlined in PTR 7.6 Digital Media Usage Policy in the UD PPM.

6. Admission
Admission criteria and procedures for online and blended learning programs will be consistent with those for traditional face-to-face programs. Refer to S6.1, Undergraduate Admission Policy and S 6.2 Graduate Admissions Policy and in the UD PPM for details on admission requirements and procedures. In addition, UD ensures the following as well:

Students entering blended or online programs are informed of the mode of delivery of their program and courses and are offered tutorials for learning in online and blended environments;
The Student Handbook is updated to include online and blended learning sections which outline the difference between online, blended, and F2F learning, and the handbook is available online;
Students are informed as to the minimum requirements for hardware, software and internet connectivity for the program or course;
Students are informed of the UD Code of Conduct and expectations for their participation in the program's or course's online community of learners, including interacting with other students and with faculty or tutors, and the channels through which interaction takes place;
Students are aware of the library and other learning resources available to online learners and, as necessary, receive training in their use;
Students are aware of all support services relevant to online and blended learning available to them, to include tutoring, academic advising, and financial aid; and
Students are informed as to what portions of the program require their physical presence, if any, including F2F course meetings, tutorials or help sessions, field activities and examinations; and the date, time, location, and arrangements provided for these sessions

7. Student Services
UD will provide comprehensive support services to students engaged in online and blended learning, including academic advising, technical support, and access to library resources. Refer to the Student Policies (Section 6) in the UD PPM for details on available services.

8. Student Records
Student records for online and blended learning programs will be maintained and managed in accordance with the S6.6 Student Records Policy in theUD PPM. This includes confidentiality, access, and retention of student records.

9. Public Information
Information regarding online and blended learning programs, including course offerings, schedules, tuition, and fees, will be made available to the public in accordance with PDI 10.4 Publications Policy in the UD PPM. In addition, UD shall ensure:

The University Catalogs, registration materials, website, and recruitment advertisements clearly list when a course, a section of a course, or a program is delivered online, blended or require students to have specific technology of their own.
Course information is consistent across platforms and clearly indicates dates/times for any F2F assessments.
The University Catalogs and student transcripts are consistent with Annex 15 of CAA requirements that all programs where 50% or more of the program credit hours are online, the program is listed as an online program and the student transcript clearly states that the program delivery mode is online.

Academic Catalog

Online and Blended Learning Policy